(en) Spain, Lights in the dark: CNT and CGT members on indefinite strike against redundancies in Catalunya

Members of the anarcho-syndicalist CNT union and CGT union have gone on indefinite strike 
and occupied their workplace at the IMESAPI lighting plant in Granollers, Catalunya, 
Spain, demanding an end to the redundancy plans which would see four of the 21 workers let 
go. ---- The workers ? now 23 days into their strike ? are responsible for maintaining the 
street lights throughout the small Catalan town, and therefore are of critical importance 
to the town council. IMESAPI itself is a part of the huge ACS conglomerate owned by 
Florentino P?rez, the multibillionaire engineering tycoon known internationally as the 
owner of Real Madrid FC. ---- Crucially, all of the workers at the Granollers plant belong 
to either the CNT or CGT unions, who have vowed to back the strike as long as it 
continues, unlike the mainstream Comisiones Obreras union, who signed off on similar 
redundancy packages at IMESAPI plants in Barcelona (which saw a failed strike) and Tenerife.

Despite now finding themselves alone in their struggle, the IMESAPI strikers have been 
industrious: holding twice-weekly family demonstrations marching through the town to the 
town hall. The strikers' march through the town centre on 22 December was a cold bucket of 
water for shoppers on possibly the most important commercial day of the year. As their 
children - at the demonstration's head with a banner that said: ?FLORENTINO PEREZ, WHAT 
ABOUT OUR TOYS?? - filed past over the umpteen Nativity scenes and kitsch Christmas 
decorations, one could sense an evident contrast between the absurd myth of Christmas 
plenitude perpetuated by town councils and retail, and the real sense of festive lack 
being endured by many in crisis-hit Spain.

Indeed, workers on the demonstration spoke of a lean Christmas, while many were worrying 
about their next mortgage payment. A further blow has been the cynicism of IMEPASI, who 
still haven't paid their workers their annual Christmas bonus, despite repeatedly 
promising to do so. They have also refused to open their books to the unions, who suspect 
financial irregularities on the part of their employers and claim that the new redundancy 
measures would make the remaining workers' jobs impossible.

The strike and occupation continues and you can keep track of it on Facebook (in 
Catalan/Spanish): http://www.facebook.com/ImesapiGranollersEnHuelga

Posted By
Caiman del Barrio
Dec 27